Welcome to Gayle's Family History Blogspot. This site is devoted to genealogy research I am currently conducting on my ancestral and related family lines. I also post tips, updates and occasional nostalgic family items of interest. You may reach me at: gaylevanh at frontier.com. Do not reuse any info posted here in any form without proper attribution. Copyright 2006-2017 by Family Roots and Branches.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

While I was working on my Georgia Burdette connections, I also discovered a new cousin from Moultrie, Georgia. Freddie Thomason Burdette, who was a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. The following obituary was included at the Riverside Cemetery listings on Find a Grave.

Freddie T. Burdette ALBANY The graveside service of Freddie Thomason Burdette, 73, of Albany, GA who died Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at Palmyra Nursing Home will be conducted, Friday at 2:00 PM at Riverside Cemetery. Dr. Ronald Baxley will officiate. Visitation will be held from 1:30 PM until 2:00 PM at the cemetery. A native of Moultrie, GA and born to the late Horace A. Burdette and Aline Morris Burdette, Mr. Burdette had resided in Albany, GA since 1955. He was a 1954 graduate from Moultrie High School and played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs from 1954 until 1964. He pitched thirty games for the major league Chicago Cubs from 1962-1964. Mr. Burdette was employed with United Parcel Service and retired in 1992. He loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman. He was preceded in death by a brother, Kenneth Burdette. Survivors include three brothers, Ricky Burdette and Jackie, of Pelham, GA, Randy Burdette and his wife, Jenny of Lawrenceville, GA and Christy Burdette and his wife, Sheila of Tucson, AZ, a sister and her husband, Vickie and Tony Amorose of Sugarhill, GA and two sons, Marty and Brett. Those desiring may make donations to United Hospice of Cordele, 407 E. 16th Ave., Cordele, GA 31015. To sign our online registry or to send condolences to the family, you may visit Mathews' website at www.mathewsfuneralhome.com. Mathews Funeral Home Albany 229/435-5657.

Freddie Thomason Burdette (September 15, 1936 – June 1, 2010) was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs.

Burdette was born in 1936 in Moultrie, Georgia. He was signed by the Cubs on June 3, 1954 as an undrafted amateur free agent. He battled his way through the minor leagues before finally making his major-league debut at age 25, pitching in relief in both games of a doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. He induced the first batter he ever faced, Leo Cardenas, to ground out to second baseman Ken Hubbs. He also retired Gordy Coleman on a groundout before being removed from the game. In the nightcap, Burdette pitched a full inning, allowing a hit but no runs. On September 10, he tallied his first big-league strikeout, fanning slugger Frank Howard. He also earned his first (and only) career save when he finished a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia on September 20. Burdette went on to finish the year with a 3.72 ERA in 9 2/3 innings over 8 games. The next year, he was a late-season call-up from the minors for the Cubs, appearing in 4 games as a reliever and posting a 3.86 ERA.

Burdette saw his most extensive major-league action in 1964, making 18 appearances out of the bullpen after getting promoted to the big leagues in June. He earned his first major-league win (and only decision) on August 18 against the Phillies in a marathon 16-inning contest at Shibe Park. Burdette retired six of the seven Phillie batters he faced in the 14th and 15th innings before being removed for a pinch-hitter as the Cubs rallied for two runs in the top of the 16th. Ernie Broglio (famously acquired by the Cubs in exchange for legend Lou Brock) allowed a solo homer in the bottom of the 16th to Clay Dalrymple but held on to save Burdette's only career win.

Burdette pitched in eight more games as a Cub in 1964, including his final appearance on October 2, 1964 against the San Francisco Giants. He hurled two-thirds of an inning, retiring opposing pitcher Bobby Bolin to end the final inning Burdett would pitch in the bigs.

For his career, Burdette was 1-0 in 30 games (all in relief) with one save and a 3.41 ERA.

[edit] Later lifeFollowing his baseball career, Burdette worked for the United Parcel Service. He died on June 1, 2010 in Albany, Georgia, where he had resided since 1955

It's always a nice surprise to discover a new cousin, and being a baseball fan, this one was an added bonus. I've included Lew's baseball card and portions of his obituary from the New York TimesLew Burdette, Masterful Pitcher, Dies at 80

By RICHARD GOLDSTEINPublished: February 7, 2007Lew Burdette, the Milwaukee Braves’ right-hander who beat the Yankees three times in the 1957 World Series, twice on shutouts, in one of the most dominant pitching performances in baseball’s postseason history, died yesterday in Winter Garden, Fla. He was 80.

His death was announced by the Atlanta Braves, who said he had battled lung cancer.

Armed with a variety of breaking balls, and bolstered by a reputation for throwing a spitter, Burdette was twice a 20-game winner and twice led the National League in shutouts. He had a career record of 203-144 in 18 seasons and teamed up with the Hall of Famer Warren Spahn and Bob Buhl to pitch the Braves to a pair of pennants.

But all that was hardly envisioned by the Yankees when, in August 1951, they sent him along with $50,000 to the Braves, then in Boston, for pitcher Johnny Sain.

Additional information on Lew Burdett from WikipediaSelva Lewis Burdette, Jr. (November 22, 1926 – February 6, 2007) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves. The team's top right-hander during its years in Milwaukee, he was the Most Valuable Player of the 1957 World Series, leading the franchise to its first championship in 43 years, and the only title in Milwaukee history. An outstanding control pitcher, his career average of 1.84 walks per nine innings pitched places him behind only Robin Roberts (1.73), Carl Hubbell (1.82) and Juan Marichal among pitchers with at least 3000 innings since 1920.

Born in Nitro, West Virginia, Burdette was signed by the New York Yankees in 1947, and after making two relief appearances for the team in September 1950, he was traded to the Braves in August 1951 for four-time 20-game winner Johnny Sain.[3] Along with left-hander Warren Spahn and Bob Buhl, he gave the Braves one of the best starting rotations in the majors during the 1950s, winning 15 or more games eight times between 1953 and 1961. Burdette led National League pitchers in earned run average in 1956. When Milwaukee won the 1957 World Series against the Yankees, Burdette became the first pitcher in 37 years to win three complete games in a Series, and the first since Christy Mathewson in 1905 to pitch two shutouts (Games 5 and 7). In the 1958 Series, however, the Yankees defeated Burdette twice in three starts. In addition to winning 20 games in 1958 and tying Spahn for the National League lead with 21 victories in 1959, Burdette won 19 in 1956 and 1960, 18 in 1961, and 17 in 1957.

Burdette was the winning pitcher on May 26, 1959 when the Pittsburgh Pirates' Harvey Haddix pitched a perfect game against the Braves for 12 innings, only to lose in the 13th. Burdette threw a 1–0 shutout, scattering 12 hits. In the ensuing offseason, he joked, "I'm the greatest pitcher that ever lived. The greatest game that was ever pitched in baseball wasn't good enough to beat me, so I've got to be the greatest!" The next year, facing the minimum 27 batters, Burdette pitched a 1–0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 18, 1960. Tony González, the only opposing batter to reach base after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, was retired on a double play. Burdette helped himself by scoring the only run of the game. Following up his no-hitter, five days later he pitched his third shutout in a row.

In 1963 Burdette was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals (1963–1964), and was later sent to the Chicago Cubs (1964–1965) and Phillies (1965). Signing with the California Angels, he pitched exclusively in relief for the team in 1966 and 1967 before retiring.

In an 18-year career, Burdette posted a 203–144 record with 1074 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA in 3067.1 innings, compiling 158 complete games and 33 shutouts. In two All-Star games, he allowed only one run in seven innings pitched,and in 1956 he topped National League pitchers with a 2.70 earned run average.He was twice a twenty game winner and twice led the National League in shutouts. He also led the National League in wins, earned run average, innings and complete games once each. His totals of wins, games and innings with the Braves ranked behind only Spahn and Kid Nichols in franchise history. As a hitter, he compiled a .183 batting average with 75 RBI and 12 home runs; his first two home runs came in the same 1957 game, and he later had two more two-homer games.

Burdette was often rumored as having thrown spitballs,leading to New York Times sportswriter Red Smith writing that "There should be 3 pitching statistics for Burdette: Wins, Losses, and Relative Humidity."

In 1958, a reference to Burdette appeared in an episode of "Leave It To Beaver". The text "Lew Burdette just hit a home run and Milwaukee leads seven to one in the series." appears briefly in a few frames showing a letter from the principal to Beaver's parents. Burdette also cut a record in the 1950s entitled "Three Strikes and Then You're Out".

Burdette was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.He died of lung cancer at age 80 at his home in Winter Garden, Florida.